Weather warning as fans head to county festivals

FESTIVAL-goers at Cropredy, Wilderness and Supernormal could be in for a wet weekend after the Met Office issued two severe weather warnings.

All three events are set to be hit by heavy rain, with Wilderness and Supernormal in for the worst of the elements on Sunday.

Friday’s yellow warning, in place from 10am to 8pm, means there is likely to be heavy, slow moving and possible thundery showers with a risk of localised flooding across Oxfordshire.

On Sunday, there is the risk of widespread heavy rainfall of up to 50mm as the remains of Hurricane Bertha passes over the Western side of the Atlantic from the Bahamas. Sunday’s warning is in place from 12.15am to 11.45pm.

Experimental arts and music festival Supernormal runs from today until Sunday at Brazier’s Park, near Wallingford, and this year features life drawing and a collage workshop.

Festival organiser Sam Francise said: “We’re not worried at all, we don’t believe the weather man. It was meant to rain all week but it hasn’t. People will just get on with it, put a raincoat on and keep going. Everything will go ahead as planned.”

A yellow warning is the lowest level of alert, warning the public to be aware of the potential for bad weather and keep up to date with the forecast.

Cropredy, which runs until tomorrow, will escape the stormier weather but there was an unexpected turn of events yesterday when a generator started bellowing smoke across the stage.

The Conservatoire Folk Ensemble were on stage at 4.55pm when the generator overheated and audience members were moved back about 20 metres as a precaution.

The band responded by playing Deep Purple classic Smoke on the Water.

Cropredy spokesman Andy Farquarson said: “There was no fire, no injury and no drama.

“One of the generators overheated and failed and we got an alternative source of power and a new generator will be delivered tomorrow.”

He added: “It’s not interrupted our schedule at all.”

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